[Steel Wolf]

You’re exactly right, Huck. I came here to celebrate, but I closed out of FR after 20 minutes of reading garbage that belongs in the DUmpster.

I was two months from ETSing on 9/11. I was actually on CQ, reading about using the GI Bill for college, when people on their way to PT told me to turn on the TV, because a plane crashed into a skyscraper or something.

I spent most of the next ten years in Afghanistan (OEF-A), Iraq (OIF) or the Philippines (OEF-P). I couldn’t jump anymore after my knee went bad, so they shuffled me off to Ft Meade. I saw the war from a different angle, and by SOF support background lead me to some interesting assignments.

Working in Balad for TF xxx was one of them. I spent months TDY in a world I only vaguely knew even existed, representing my agency as best I could in the most fast paced, results driven operation around. It made everything I’d seen in the Army or the government before or since look like a low grade training event.

When the details of the raid started to emerge, with a 40min dwell time on target, including infil, actions on the objective, SSE, and exfil, I knew it was the real deal. “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”, as Mark Twain would say. Raids that go down this fast are planned, researched and rehearsed.

I’ve been out of the game for a while, but I imagined, wearing my old analyst hat, the intense meetings, the constant liaison between three letter agencies and the conventional military, the elaborate rehearsals, the feeling in your stomach when you look up and see the words, ‘OBJ Irhabi’ on the OPS screen, and the dull sense of wonder that it’s actually happening. Watching the UAV feeds when a HAF hits the ground, you’ll miss hundreds of people forgetting to breathe for a few seconds. The disappointment of hitting a dry hole, the electric joy that hits the room when the right bad guy is bagged. The relief that none of the operators got hurt. We rode that roller coaster of emotions night after night.

It’s not the same as being on the ground yourself (another distinct set of memories), but it’s exhilarating nonetheless.

This leads me back to your point. I remember the days of Michael Rivero, black helicopters (ironically), and “Clinton ain’t leaving” after his second term. There’s always been a vein of conspiracy theory lore in the FR community.

I never took it personally until yesterday. Catching Usama bin Laden was a major achievement in the long war, and for those of us who fought in it. Possibly the biggest yet, from a psychological standpoint. That SSE takes time to process. It has to be exploited from whatever media its on, logged into the right database, analyzed and evaluated. New targets need to be generated. The cycle feeds on itself. When one bad guy falls, we pull the string and move to the next.

That’s what’s going on right now. They’re not going to stop and give a press conference because they’re busy, and even if they weren’t busy, they wouldn’t be talking.

On the other hand, the idea that the raid was staged or didn’t happen strains all credulity. You’d need to get several hundred people who largely detest the current POTUS to agree to lie to the American people on his behalf. On the contrary, JSOC has the means and the motive to prove any false statements. The information they’re currently analyzing is being concurrently disseminated to the IC as a whole, who will be able to tell if it’s not the real deal. You can’t fake accurate intelligence, any more than you could accurately guess tomorrows stock prices as part of a scam.

I understand greatly the mistrust of the President, and the desire to hold him accountable. But don’t believe his hype. It wasn’t his operation. He didn’t plan it, he wasn’t there. He just sniffed a PowerPoint presentation, and said, ‘okay, do it’. It was JSOCs mission. American military, American intelligence agencies, a win for America.

Folks may think they’re being ‘tough on Obama’ by being skeptical, but it’s not. It’s an insult to the special operations and intelligence communities who spend many years and many lives fighting your war in the shadows. It’s an insult to their integrity, that a large minority of FReepers think that so many would go along so easily with a flimsy, easily disprovable scam on the American people. It’s basically warmed over Trutherism, if you think about it.

It made yesterday a depressing, kooky day for the normally wise and patriotic Free Republic. Frustration at Obama has caused people to trade common sense and their faith in the U.S. military for a twitchy, knee-jerk paranoia, which is a pretty sad thing. Thanks for the post, Huck. Hopefully it gets some folks to take a breath and think.

[Huck]

Amazing post. Thanks.

[Fu-fu2]

I agree. Politicians (presidents) come and go. I don’t believe the Navy Seals would sacrifice their honor by supporting a farce for some politician.....

[Texas Eagle]

It’s an insult to their integrity, that a large minority of FReepers think that so many would go along so easily with a flimsy, easily disprovable scam on the American people.

A "large minority"???

You've done the math? Show us your work.

And, just to add a little fun to the exercise, specify which FReeper you put into each category.

If necessary, start a new thread so this one doesn't get hijacked.

[GreenAccord]

Holy crap, that’s an awesome post. Those who are scanning this thread, please read it.

[Ditto]

Folks may think they’re being ‘tough on Obama’ by being skeptical, but it’s not. It’s an insult to the special operations and intelligence communities who spend many years and many lives fighting your war in the shadows. It’s an insult to their integrity, that a large minority of FReepers think that so many would go along so easily with a flimsy, easily disprovable scam on the American people. It’s basically warmed over Trutherism, if you think about it.

Well said Wolf. Very well said.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Thank you for your service, and thank you as well for that great post. And unfortunately, the carping by conservatives wasn’t limited just to those who post on FR.

[Sprite518]

A sign of a strong and free republic is vigorous debate Stell Wolf. Only dictatorships is where everyone gets along.

You are not the only freeper that has military service here. There are many of us on free republic that have military service too. Some freepers even are from the intelligence agencies. At any rate, I do not see anyone bashing the military. They are bashing the political leadership that uses our wonderful military for political gain.

Like you I am happy they finally got OBL. At the very same time I’m not happy that Obama has known where OBL was since last August. Why was he waiting? Furthermore, the fact that OBL lived there for 6 years is even more disturbing about why we did not know this. It leads to A LOT of tough questions.

It just seems to me that the ONLY reason why OBL is dead today is because Trump basing Obama on this issue. Trump was challenging Obama’s loyalty (that is at the root of the birth issue and going after OBL). This action was done within days of the re release of the long form Certificate of Live Birth too. In other words it looks VERY political and it’s why so many people on here are upset.

[Tammy8]

Great post, thank you!! I believe our guys got OBL, I didn’t doubt it because I knew so many military people and others had to be involved it would be impossible for the President to manufacture it.

Do I believe every word of the story? All important events have more than one story that comes out, especially in the beginning. I think that is more evidence of our sorry media that doesn’t do their job anymore than it points to conspiracy. Parts of the story will never be told or will be changed, likely to protect operational methods or to keep from disclosing names of those involved to protect them and their families. That is as it should be, we don’t need to know everything.

I understand the distrust for our current President, but in this case to think he made it up for political reasons is to believe large numbers of good men and women would go along with him. It would take a lot of hard evidence to ever convince me of that.

[butterdezillion]

What happened to Lt Col Lakin badly shook my confidence in the military leadership. Especially on the heels of what had happened to Able Danger and to the Haditha marines.

I do believe the raid was real, and it bugs me that Obama didn’t take the steps to provide evidence that it was really Osama they got, or to deal with honest questions that people had such as how they could have DNA evidence so soon.

The people actually carrying out the operations deserve much, much better than to have leaders whose credibility is questionable - and especially a CINC who just documentably committed a very public forgery a week ago. That behavior is a national security risk because it means that everything he has his hand in is questionable, and sadly, his hand is involved in military action even if it’s just giving the OK and then taking all the credit, as appears to be the case in this.

I am very, very thankful that the US military brought Bin Laden to justice. I am very, very appreciative of the courage and skill of the people who planned and executed the operation. I can understand why you and others would be upset by those good things being overshadowed. That is exactly the kind of thing so many of us wanted to prevent, by holding both Obama and the military leadership accountable to the truth on a number of things, so they would have their credibility when it was critical for them to be credible.

[MHGinTN]

Thank you for your exemplary service. And thanks especially for the post; a much needed perspective on this series of events.

[lonevoice]

Wow. Your post deserves its own thread. Thank you for your service, and thank you for speaking up.

[Hulka]

“Folks may think they’re being ‘tough on Obama’ by being skeptical, but it’s not. It’s an insult to the special operations and intelligence communities who spend many years and many lives fighting your war in the shadows. It’s an insult to their integrity, that a large minority of FReepers think that so many would go along so easily with a flimsy, easily disprovable scam on the American people. It’s basically warmed over Trutherism, if you think about it.”

Outstanding post. Many here should listen carefully to what you say.

[Servant of the Cross]

Just wow. Outstanding words and perspective for all. Thank you for sharing this and especially for your service to defending our country and its freedom.

You know, there is another person who could have had reason or basis to complain and want to have the historical record accurately portrayed. He didn't. He showed us how a patriot who loves his country should act at such a time ...

“Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.”

A Man Called W: Ashley's Story

[Responsibility2nd]

Someone added post 392 rocks. I disagree. I added some other keywords, but...

I will say that the post by Steel Wolf (for Huck’s position) and fr_freak’s post (against) are truly the best on this thread. Lots of FReepers argee with you both.

We can’t all be right. But you two expressed yourselves very well.

Thank you both.